The state’s reopening of a 2-mile stretch of Kuhio Highway, which has been closed to nonlocal traffic for more than a year, is now anticipated to take place May 20 — weather permitting.
The state Department of Transportation and Gov. David Ige had previously said that the road was on track to reopen today; however, the state decided to postpone after a site visit Monday.
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami, DOT Deputy
Director for Highways Ed Sniffen and representatives from the Federal Highway Administration participated in the visit and “identified safety concerns over opening the roadway near Waikoko Bridge.”
“So many people have worked so hard to not only repair Kuhio Highway, but make it more resilient against future events,” Sniffen said in a statement. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to work to ensure the road is safe.”
Flooding April 14-15, 2018, which produced approximately 50 inches of rain in a 24-hour period and caused landslides, left a portion of Kuhio Highway with some 32 emergency repair sites. The ensuing roadwork cut off Kauai’s north shore beyond Waikoko from the rest of the island, closing the communities of Lumahai, Wainiha and Haena to most outsiders.
DOT said 22 major tasks, including the stabilization of the slope at Wainiha Bay and the rebuilding of sections where the embankment below the road was washed away in the disaster, have already been completed by the state and its contractors. However, DOT said Kuhio Highway “will not be reopened until the work at the bridge progresses sufficiently to ensure the safety of the traveling public and our workers.”
In the meantime, residents and others with county permission must continue traveling through the damaged portion in a convoy that moves through checkpoints at regulated times.
“We are working on adjustments to the schedule to accommodate the community and to reduce potential conflicts between drivers and the workers at the bridges,” said DOT spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige. “The remaining work on the bridges includes abutment and deck construction that cannot occur when vehicular traffic is going over the bridge. If we are able to safely adjust the convoy schedule and maintain the accelerated schedule for the bridge work, we will.”
Even so, the decision to postpone the reopening and keep the convoy going has prompted mixed response. Ige said last week that most of the feedback that he had received from the Kauai community urged a prompt reopening. The convoy, and corresponding vacation rental moratorium, has been tough for residents and businesses, many whom have suffered severe economic loss.
Proponents of a prompt reopening were glad Tuesday when the county said that it would allow permitted vacation rentals, 80 or so, to begin operating today as previously planned. The county permission does not extend to 20 to 30 or so unpermitted vacation rentals, which are operating illegally.
The postponement, which was in part weather-related, also averted a possible protest. The state’s push for a reopening today had been controversial because the public highway had been slated to reopen before work would be completed at the Waioli Stream, the Waipa Stream and the Waikoko Stream bridges.
While the new plan is more aligned with the softer opening that critics wanted, some remain concerned that the May 20 opening comes before the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has a chance to complete repairs and improvements to Haena State Park, which is still closed.
